Ain’t Got Time for Meditation? – Tania Kowalski

August 28, 2015

You know that thing that happens where you have an inkling that you need to bring something into your life because the universe starts beating it into your head by having it show up everywhere? That’s what happened to me with meditation. It seemed that every book I read or podcast that I listened to had some happy, successful person that I admired touting how meditation changed their lives. I knew that it was something that I had to try.

I was one of those people that didn’t have time to meditate. I was making excuses as I was more afraid to try it than anything else. I thought that meditation was for the people that were more than knee deep into spiritually, the people that walked really slowly, the people that seemed to be so at peace, the people that wore prayer beads, you know the people that I mean… the people that never seem to be in a rush, the peaceful people. This was so not me… BUT I decided to try it anyhow. I Googled how you should sit, what you should think, you name it, I had to research every aspect of meditating which was controlling the process so much so that it became exactly the opposite of what it should be.

So I started out with a few guided meditations. Since I was listening to someone tell me what to focus on I didn’t have to be completely alone with my own crazy busy mind. I am happy to report that I’ve graduated to the point where I actually like being alone with my own mind more than listening to guided meditations. I find that I can make each meditation exactly what I need it to be. If I’m feeling the controlling Tania creeping in, I choose a mantra about letting go, if I’m feeling anxious then I’ll choose a mantra about slowing down and following my breath, you get the picture.

So what have I found the benefits of meditation to be for me? Here’s a list that although not exhaustive will give you an idea of why I will always keep meditation as an important part of my day.

Meditation allows me to:
* relax my mind (it’s not as crazy a place as it used to be!)
* clear my mind to allow for creative space, I come up with ideas and inspiration
* be a more relaxed, positive person
* stop rushing
* be more present
* make decisions
* be more patient
* see things more clearly (uncluttered)
* visualize the things that I want to accomplish
* focus on what is important
* enjoy the journey

Knowing that stress and inflammation are the root cause of many diseases and that meditation is so good at relieving stress and at teaching us to slow down, the health benefits are becoming more and more commonly known and accepted.